


The Apple

by astrophelthracius



Series: Tempted? Click here for suffering [2]
Category: Lord of the Rings - Fandom
Genre: Childbirth, Court Drama, M/M, Mpreg, Near Death/Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-13 01:50:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10503945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astrophelthracius/pseuds/astrophelthracius
Summary: Years after the first part of the series is set. Legolas finally comes into the picture.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Same thing from the previous chapter applies. If you haven't read that. I advise you do but you don't have to. Although...that ones complete, this one most probably is not.
> 
> My cyber identity owns and gains nothing from this work.

Years came and passed. The valley of Imladris grew stronger and its people happier. Elladan and Elrohir had finished their trials at a scant three hundreds years of age. Thranduil found himself longing for another babe as his children took leave to travel to the Lady Galadriel's kingdom. He knew long before the time came, the look on his children's faces as elrond told them of his mother and her kingdom were that of anticipation and great wonder. He sighed as the twins departed from their gates, the cold drought of worry continues to bother him so. His children had gone out alone somewhere farther than they've ever been for the first time. "Be at peace Mathenel-nîn. They are strong and smart. Besides, I have sent Eriador and Galraien to watch them." Thranduil found himself sagging in relief, grateful for his husband's form hold of him.

Five years passed with only letters and messages from their children and their faithful guards. The twins had taken to exploring middle earth with the most unexpected company, dwarves. Descendants of Thorin, King under the mountain, and his consort Bilbo Baggins of the shire. Most curious were the letters of how their children came to existence. Thranduil had almost fainted when he read of the twins witnessing their conception. But the matter was greatly complicated, they had apparently fashioned a seed out of their own locks and planted it. Even Elrond had found this method of conception lost to his mind. Thranduil read of their new child's birth, the feel of soft skin and small hands, the heartbreakingly melodious sound of a baby's first cries. Thranduil cradled his belly. A feeling of wanton desperation overcame him and tears spilled forth, five years his children has left and for five years the yearning he's always had for another child had festered. His womb and mind alike craved it. A being that he would love before it even came to be. He had not spoken of it for more than three centuries in consideration of his husband. For Elrond carries fear in his eyes and worry in his soul even now. They had only resumed scant sexual relations after the twins' birth and still, Elrond never spilled within him. So Thranduil wept for the weariness in his soul was weighing on him yet he could not imagine forcing his husband to do something he did not want. Especially in a matter that should be nothing but a joyous occasion for both of them.

It was at that moment that Elrond walked in. His eagerness to hear of his children's journey quickly dissolved into worry as his mate wept. He rushed over to Thranduil and caught his tears with his thumb. "What ails you my dear?" The lord swept blonde locks off of his beloved's face and cradled the reddened cheeks with his hands. "I am at a loss. I find myself desiring another babe to hold Ithilas. It is consuming me but I cannot forsake your happiness." Elrond's stance turned rigid as the words washed over him. "I-Why would you be forsaking my happiness? I will always be happy so long as you and our children are." His hands were evaded by the woodland elf as he turned to the window overlooking the grounds. Pale hands wiping off the tears he shed. "I am not blind. I see the fear that lingers in your eyes melon nîn. You still look at me as if I would be gone the moment you turn away. It has been three centuries and I've yearned greatly for another child. Yet you would barely touch me with any intent less than innocent. I love you too dearly to make you feel uncomfortable." Elrond considered his words, placing his arms around the other elf and urging the slighter body to lean against his'. "Forgive me Thranduil. I do want another child, you must believe me yet I fear for you. I cannot lose you for you are my heart and soul. The last three centuries has given us both time to heal and grow stronger. I have grown to understand your strengths and I find myself less overbearing with regards to this matter as time passes. I only ask for another year or two before we conceive again." Thranduil's soft hum along with the light touches of his hand were answer enough. "I am lucky to have you as my husband." Thranduil flushed and hid his face in his husband's robes as he uttered the words.

Only a year later Thranduil begat a daughter. The blue rose that laid on his hand was in full bloom and its beauty became legend in the songs of their subjects as they celebrated the conception of a princess. Thranduil's pregnancy was marked by the rounding of his face and softening of his body. Even moreso than when he conceived the twins. Elrond, despite the years that passed by, was worried more than usual though his happiness was unmistakable. His days often ended with him laying kisses on his husband's round belly and massages for his swollen ankles and back. Thranduil's beauty was said to have grown tenfold as the pregnancy progressed. There were gifts of dresses and toys from all over the valley. Flowers were left at the doorstep of the palace and they rejoiced at each turn. Elrond was tense on the day of her birth but their little princess came into the world with little to no complication. Thranduil's labour consisted of soft moans and quiet groans and the birth itself took even less pain. Later they discovered that the princess was a natural born healer. An elf borne connected to nature and able to sooth other beings. Elrond thanked the Valar and Yavanna for her easy birth. The celebration was grand and the palace loved their princess. Elladan and Elrohir were ecstatic when they arrived and first saw their sister. The seeking looks and constant pleas to hold their sister went unheard as Thranduil and Elrond didn't let others touch their princess for the first twenty four hours. 

The twins may have pouted but they understood the fragile and emotional state of their bearer. Of course they'd heard tales of their father's heartbreak as their mother slept for three days. It was a tale that was told in great caution but they were mischievous and curious as teenagers. The morning of the celebration, their mother allowed them to hold their baby sister and gave them the honor of naming her. "Arwen" they called her-- the "evening star". Her hair was as dark as the night and her eyes brighter than the moon. Their sister fancied them greatly and they had stopped in Rivendell for ten years before continuing their journey. Arwen had tried to follow them but she'd only just learned how to walk by then. Elrond and Thranduil occupied her time with books and swordplay, some tea parties at gatherings as she grew. Her beauty and kindness was known throughout Imladris. 

Their third conception was entirely unexpected. Arwen was eighty years of age and Elrond had come home from a diplomatic fiasco involving the dwarf kingdom and Thranduil had enticed him to rid him of his weariness. Their passionate bouts of sex were uninhibited and Elrond had made love to him in a variety of ways. The morning after there was a purple hyacinth in his hand. Thranduil touched the flower with such reverence for it was quite small compared to Elladan and Elrohir's. He gently shook his husband into wakeness and presented what he'd found. Elrond's face brightened with glee and he kissed his husband. "We have been blessed with three children and now we shall have another. You are wonderful. I love you." They spent the morning with each other and did their duties well into the afternoon. 

Only days passed before Thranduil started getting bouts of nausea. It was not uncommon for pregnant elves but his was excessive. He'd expressed his concerns to the healer but chose to keep them from Elrond yet. His husband would fall into despair if he worried too much, there were months ahead of them. His nausea often appeared after breakfast and lunch while at nights he was simply tired enough to drop. It was three months into his pregnancy when the unthinkable happened. He was holding the courts when a sudden bout of lightheadedness stumped him and he almost fell sideways onto the floor. Lindir and Erestor held him up and some guards went off to look for the healer and the lord. He lost consciousness after seeing his husband's worried face as he towed the healer behind him. 

The next time he woke up, Elrond was clutching his hand and his eyes were rimmed red. "Elrond..." Whatever he was about to say disappeared as Elrond cupped his face and kissed him chastely. Arwen sat right beside him and she held his other hand. On her face was an inscrutable expression. "Why did you not inform us of this Adar?" Thranduil worried that she would cry. "Ion nîn, I did not want to cause unnecessary worry. I was fine." Elrond's hand tightened their hold and Arwen seemed to feel something as she stood. "I will be in my room. You just tell us if anything bothers you in the slightest Adar. I will take over the common courts with Lindir and Erestor." She left before he could protest and suddenly he could hear Elrond's quiet hiccups. "Do not cry Ithilas. I am fine." Elrond continued to shake as tears spilled from his eyes. "This is all my fault. I should have known better than to beget another child so soon. Mathenel-nîn, I cannot lose you." Thranduil shook off his had as his face reddened with anger. "Do you mean to say that you do not want our child?" Elrond made calming sounds but his mind was overwrought with fury. "Thranduil, please listen to me. I do not regret our child. Only the time at which we conceived him. The healer said that your body has yet to recover so soon after Arwen's birth. He expects the pregnancy to be rougher than hers. Do you not consider what happened today? You fainted of fatigue. It is not just your body but also your spirit." Thranduil allowed his husband to draw him in. "Elrond you must know that I will always choose to stay by your side as long as possible. I ask you to look at our child as he is, a blessing and a gift. Should anything happen, I want you to save our child and stay with all of them as long as possible." For the first time in years, the lord of Imladris found himself unable to speak. The rife that emerged from such a thought too strong to contain in words and thoughts. The world wept with him as the rain fell in a midsummer day. 

Thranduil, for all that he was courageous, often found himself wondering if he would survive this. His child was a joy, responding to voices or sending comfort through their parent bond. It was wonderful to feel the little life inside him glow in excitement when he talked of trees and animal and forests. And yet, as the pregnancy progressed he found himself weaker still. Often his day would start with a trip to the bathroom on trembling legs though Elrond always assisted him. Breakfast was hard to keep down and so was lunch. He'd been regimented to stay abed as much as possible as the eleventh month arrived but his nausea forced him to stand and use the bathroom. There were saltines and water on his bedside and Lindir or Erestor or his husband would always be there at any given time. And so the day was spent with small talks or comfortable silence. The last light of the sun was one that he always viewed with Elrond as they walked outside the balcony garden. walking towards a reclining chaise with Elrond at his side. His gravid belly did not allow for much movement as months passed and so soon to his birth, Elrond would not chance anything. 

The lord grew warier by the day. So much so that now that he neared birthing, the lord would not leave his side. Royal duties fell unto Erestor's hands and his own duties as a consort to Arwen's with Lindir's guidance. Nightly strolls did both of them some good as Elrond found it easier to smile when surrounded with nature and Thranduil found peace in his husband's happiness. Tonight, the moon shines brighter than ever and the dew on the leaves were illuminated by it, the trees looked like they were dripping polished diamonds. "It is wonderful isn't it?" Elrond turned to him with a smile and kissed him. "It is not as beautiful as you but it is worthy of your eyes." Thranduil hummed as he stroked his belly. His little leaf had been quiet all day, even moreso than the past week. Elrond's hands joined his husband's and they let their presence wash over their unborn child. "Is he asleep?" The quiet pulsing of energy underneath their hands was ever present and strong so the two did not worry. "I think he's tired. Too many adventurous lands to be excited over. I told him of the bravery of our dearest friends from the fellowship. He was most active then." Elrond sat closer to him and kissed his neck, drawing him into a close embrace. 

The peacefulness was disturbed as Thranduil doubled over and released a gasp. "He is coming. Elrond...inside, please." The lord did not bother to ask him if he could stand, merely took him in his arms and carried him onto the bed. He vaguely heard orders for healers before he fell into the clutches of pain. His labour was much more painful than that of the twins but he grit his teeth. He couldn't hear outside of the blood thrumming in his ears. Hands held his as Arwen and Elrond sat on either side of him. Elrohir and Elladan had yet to reach Imladris and somehow Thranduil feared that he would not see them again. He screamed as pain ripped through his womb and his waters broke. Elrond's tear stricken face registered in his mind and he tried to smile in reassurance but all that came was a grimace. He felt the hours pass by until the healer spread his legs wider apart and he pushed at the next contraction. "It hurts.." His heart broke as his husband wept for him but the pain was too much to bear. It felt as though their last child was being ripped from his very spirit and he cried so. 

Elrond's hands gripped Thranduil's as his sobs increased in crescendo. His skin was growing ashen in palor and Elrond feared for him, for them, for their children. He wept at the thought of losing his mate. He would not survive, but their child would be young still. He could not sail to Valinor for the first few years of their child's life. "Please stay strong my love. You are doing so well." The blood welling up from beneath the sheets were too much and Elrond knew that Thranduil was already in danger. "Another push my lord. He is almost here." The healers were grim and their movement frantic as Thranduil gave a last push. His weakened body laid limp and Elrond's tears fell faster, the rain outside stronger. He gripped Arwen's free hand with his own and tried to comfort her but found that he had none to give. His mate laid prone and on the edge of death, he could not even sail to Valinor in this state. The thought that Thranduil would be trapped in the Halls of Mandos weighed heavily upon his shoulder. "Thranduil...come back to me. Please my love." Lindir and Erestor were at the edge of the bed as the healer placed their babe in his arms. His was a crown of hair exactly the same as Thranduil's and eyes the same icy shade. His complexion was fair as his bearer's but his size was smaller than even their daughter's. The uncanny resemblance made his father smile if only for a time. His first cries awoke Thranduil though his eyes were glazed and his movements weak. "Show him to me Elrond." The dark haired elf propped his husband onto his body and helped him hold their child. "He shall be called Legolas. Our little green leaf." Thranduils body laid limp against his husband's as his eyes watched their child. He looked as much his as Arwen's was the lord's. 

Elrond kissed his husband's cheek and stroked his pale face. "I am tired Elrond." The rain poured faster as the lord shed quiet tears. "Then you should go to sleep. I will be there when you wake. I will follow you as soon as I can." Thranduil cupped his daughter's face as Elrond held their little one. His soft cries had turned to coos and whines as he reached for his bearer. "May you live long and find happiness." Arwen smiled at him through her tears and kissed his cheek as Elrond did. And finally Thranduil closed his eyes. 

Arwen felt something pulling her towards her bearer as he slept and she followed it. A warm glow that settled upon his chest and called to her. She placed her hand on top of his still form and their spirits mingled as the glow turned blinding. Elrond watched as his daughter changed in the old language and he wrapped his hands around their little one as the light appeared

**Author's Note:**

> Hmmm, those who were tempted. Unfortunately, chapter 2 is up in the air.
> 
> I'm sorry but I move in between a lot of fandoms...inspirations come and go.
> 
>  
> 
> I really love mpreg. One day I'll make a punett square for this. Maybe an x-linked recessive gene (mother has to be carrier). It could be that it has to be inherited with another gene
> 
> ex: gene for producing secondary female sex hormones for development of uterus and other female parts has to be activated(?) as well. There's a terms starting with "e" but I forgot it.
> 
> Maybe it has to be a multifactorial gene activation(?) again I forgot the term. 1 a.m. is not conducive to genetic thinking, to any thinking. (environment, introduction of male sperm etc.)
> 
> Leave a comment if you think it will work. Or how you think it could work. I'd appreciate the help.


End file.
